Birthday Gifts
by TheNovelArtist
Summary: What do you get the most wonderful, kind-hearted, selfless girl for her birthday? Because Adrien was at a loss.
1. Chapter 1

A/N: So, the next chapter for _The Love of a Cat_ is not ready for posting. And probably won't be for a few days. Please take this story as an apology.

* * *

What do you get the most wonderful, kind-hearted, selfless girl for her birthday? Because Adrien was at a loss.

"It's Marinette," Alya pointed out. "The girl would be thrilled if you got her _anything._ "

"I know," he bemoaned. "But…I can't. Not only was she the only one thoughtful enough to go out of her way to get me something—and hand-make something for me at that—for my fifteenth, but she let me believe that it was my father's gift just because it made me happy. I can't let her down with anything other than perfection."

Alya grinned at that. "And that's why you are going to end up getting her the best gift ever."

Adrien scoffed. "Thanks for the vote of confidence."

"Come on," Alya said. "For you, Marinette should be easy. You're the son of one of her fashion idols."

"Yeah, bro," Nino chimed in, elbowing Adrien's side. "She loves fashion, and you live and breathe that world."

"Isn't that an easy shot, though?" Adrien said. "Everyone knows she loves fashion."

"Well, yeah," Alya relented. "But it's what _she_ lives and breathes. Not to mention it's an expensive hobby so anything that allows her to produce more that she doesn't have to buy is a bonus, right?"

"I suppose." Adrien still didn't like it, though. It seemed rather shallow.

The bell rang, and the dull rhythm of school began, only to be broken up by lunch and a very excited Marinette. "Alyaguesswhat?"

"Chill, girl," Alya responded, forcing the bouncing girl to sit down. "What's got you—"

Before Alya could finish her sentence, Marinette shoved a bright pink sketchbook in the brunette's face. "THIS!" she squeaked.

Alya gasped. "Did you finish?"

Marinette nodded, and then the girls squealed in excitement. Marinette squirmed in her seat like an impatient puppy as Alya flipped the book open and started scouring the pages.

"What is that?" a very confused Adrien asked.

"Her fashion portfolio," Alya answered. "Marinette spent months pulling all the best ideas from her previous sketchbooks, developing them, and putting them in one nice, pretty, colored sketchbook."

"It was a bit of an experiment to see how far I could push myself and the designs," Marinette spoke up. She had long since lost her stutter when speaking to Adrien. Now, it was his personal mission to make her so comfortable around him that she lost that last edge of shyness that she always had when talking to him. "I also wanted to experiment about how to format everything so that I know how to build my actual portfolio when I begin searching for fashion internships and such."

Adrien smiled at her. "May I?" he asked, pointing to the book.

Alya happily handed it over, allowing Adrien to look through the book himself. Impressed wasn't quiet the right word for it. Page after page after page was nothing but quality. "I've seen portfolios that aren't half as nice as this, Marinette. If this is an experiment, I can't wait to see what your real one is like. You'll get hired for sure."

She turned a bright yet adorable shade of red. "You really think so?"

Adrien nodded. "Definitely."

"I don't know a thing about fashion," Nino chimed in. "But I know you're way too talented for anyone to pass up. This is awesome."

Her cheeks now rivaled the color of Ladybug's suit, contrasting with her eyes and making them appear even bluer. Honestly, she was too cute for her own good. "Thank you."

Adrien eventually gave the book back, and Marinette cradled it against her chest possessively.

When the end of the day rolled around, Adrien was still at a loss.

"You'll think of something, Agreste," Alya whispered one last time before headed off after Marinette. "We're still headed out? Right?"

"Let me put my stuff away, first," Marinette said, holding her portfolio tightly against her chest. "I don't want to lose it."

"Good call. With you, anything's possible."

"Hey!"

Adrien chuckled at the girls' teasing before noticing his vehicle pulling up.

Nino patted his shoulder. "Don't worry, bro. You have it in the bag."

Adrien shrugged. "I guess. But I don't just want to get her nice fabric or anything. She actually made me something, then spent two years pretending that my father got it for me. I feel awful, every time I bragged about that scarf in front of her…"

"Yeah, I can see that. But it was also something that she took herself to make you happy."

"Which is why I better get her something that is special. Something more than money can buy."

Nino offered him a grin. "Well, whatever you get her, she'll be thrilled. But dude, you live around fashion designers. Your dad is one of her biggest inspirations. You have it in with a crowd she wants to get into. You'll come up with something."

It at least got Adrien to smile. "Thanks, bro."

"No prob."

With a fist pound good-bye, the boys split to head home. And all the while, Adrien couldn't stop thinking about what to get Marinette and what to possibly get her for her birthday.

"And your father is home tonight," Nathalie said, breaking into his thoughts as she absently listed off the schedule he had memorized already. "So he scheduled dinner with you."

A half-smile contorted Adrien's lips. He wasn't sure what to make of it. Lately, his father had been working out of town, so having him home would be nice. But then again, it was his father, and his father at dinner was usually no more interesting than eating alone. Occasionally, his father surprised him with conversation, but it wasn't often. "Thank you, Nathalie."

When they arrived home, Adrien went straight to his room thinking that maybe doing a bit of homework would take his mind off of things and possibly help clear it.

"Why was Princess so happy about that thing?" Plagg grumbled. "She was squealing so much, it made my ears hurt."

"She put a lot of work into it, Plagg. Of course she's proud about it."

"But she put her heart and soul into it just to send it off to people that are gonna tear it apart. Why would she be happy about that?"

"Because critiques are how people get better."

Something about that statement stopped him short. Combined with a comment from earlier, one both Nino and Alya said: his father was her fashion idol.

Slowly, a smirk came across his face. He knew what he wanted to get his princess for her birthday.

"I don't like that look on your face."

"No one asked you, Plagg."

He thought about how he could possibly get that book from Marinette. Maybe he could ask Alya. Surely, she'd help him out.

Plagg scoffed. "Good luck with that. Why not just take it?"

Had he been talking aloud? "Because I'm not a cat burglar."

"Well, that's questionable," Plagg drawled out, "but whatever floats your boat."

Adrien glared at the kwami. "Thanks, Plagg."

"No problem."

Mind made up, he picked up his phone to text Alya.

"So, how are you gonna get your dad to spend time to critique your friend's work?"

Adrien froze. He hadn't thought about that. This was his _father_ they were talking about. Gabriel Agreste wasn't about to spend any time on an amateur's work, not even as a favor for his son.

So Adrien sat back down to get lost in homework, hoping that something would come to mind. And by the time he figured it out, he reached for his phone to shoot Alya a text. _"I need your help with a present for Mari. Are you still with her?"_

" _Yes, but can't help tonight. Babysitting. Tomorrow?"_

Adrien groaned. His father was home tonight. He had to get that sketchbook now. He stole a look at Plagg. This was going to make him feel even guiltier.

" _Never mind. I can do it myself. Thanks, though."_

" _You sure?"_

" _Yeah. Just thought her best friend's input would be helpful."_

" _I have faith in you! Good luck!"_

"Plagg—"

The kwami groaned, but didn't try to argue. "Here we go."

"Claws out."

Running along the rooftops was usually freeing, but today, it wasn't as miraculous as usual. Not when he was going to basically swipe his friend's pride and joy.

Wow. This was going to legitimately suck.

When he got to Marinette's place, he landed on her balcony as lightly as possible though he felt about as heavy as a brick. He peeked inside, noticing there was no one in the room. Perfect.

Slipping into her room, he searched for her book, finding it resting on her desk. He reached for it, only to stop short. He couldn't take it. It was killing him too much. He had to ask someone for permission. He couldn't just snatch something from Marinette like that.

Bounding back out, he landed in the alleyway and detransformed.

"What happened?" Plagg said after he zipped out of the ring. "You almost had it."

"I can't just steal it without telling anyone. And I don't want to break into her room to do it."

"Except you did."

"But I stopped and rethought this plan out. Now hide." Adrien opened his over shirt.

With a sigh and an eye roll, Plagg hid in his little shirt pocket.

Taking a deep breath, Adrien walked into the bakery, only to be immediately greeted by Mrs. Cheng...er, Sabine. She had warned him a few times to call her that. He was just of the habit to address his elders formally. "Adrien, what a wonderful surprise. Marinette isn't home right now."

"I know," he admitted, rubbing the back of his neck nervously. "Actually, I…I kinda wanted it that way."

She quirked a brow at him. "Oh?"

"Yeah. You see, ma'am, I wanted to get something really special for Marinette for her birthday, but in order for me to do that, I need that sketchbook she loves."

"Hmm? What sort of gift." But then she got a slight twinkle in her eye. "Or is it a surprise?"

"Well, hopefully, if it goes right, a really big surprise. But…the reason I'm telling you is that I don't want to just…you know…take it for the week."

Sabine pondered it for a moment before she nodded. "All right. I'll help you. Go get it from her room and I'll spend the next week stalling for you."

Adrien felt relief flood him. "Thank you, Sabine."

"But it better be a good surprise," she warned teasingly.

"Hopefully, it will be. Otherwise, I'll bring the sketchbook back tomorrow and explain everything."

Sabine smile grew. "This is why I like you, Adrien. Now go get it before Marinette comes back, okay?"

"Thank you. I appreciate it so much."

With that, Adrien bounded up the stairs, snatched the sketchbook, and hurried back home as fast as he possibly could. When he sat back down at his desk, he tried to finish his homework, only to be constantly distracted by the sketchbook. He crossed his fingers and hoped beyond all hope that this would go well.

Dinner came around, and Adrien was pretty nervous. He was for certain overestimating the likelihood this was going to go well. It was probably going to backfire in his face, but Marinette was worth it.

When he reached the dining hall, his father was already there, punctual as always. They sat across from each other, as per usual, twenty empty spaces separating them.

"Adrien."

"Father."

Conversation was staggered, forced, usual. Adrien had learned to more-or-less accept the fact and simply roll with it. Which was why he waited until dinner was finished before bringing up the subject at hand. "Father," he began. "I have a very large favor to ask of you."

His father lifted a single brow. "What sort of favor?"

Adrien stood, holding his hand up in a gesture to wait a moment. He walked just outside the door to snatch the sketchbook from a side table before walking to his father, sketchbook upright for him to see. "This is the fashion portfolio of a very good friend of mine. Her birthday is coming up and I was hoping that I could convince you to critique some of the pages. This is a hundred page sketchbook that she happened to fill front and back, so I was thinking that you could look through it and choose twenty designs to critique."

His father's brow lowered. "Adrien, I am very busy. I don't have time to waste on such a silly endeavor."

Adrien's eyes narrowed. "Thirty minutes of your time; that's all I'm asking."

"I don't have time to fish through an amateur's sketchbook to find a couple good designs, Adrien. It will take me longer than half an hour to complete."

"This is the sketchbook of Marinette Dupain-Cheng," Adrien ground out. "The girl in my class that won the hat competition as well as the junior jacket competition you hosted for good publicity last year."

At this, Gabriel raised a brow but quickly lowered it. "That still doesn't mean I have the time—"

"Then how about this," Adrien snapped, interrupting his father with a just anger pulsing though him. "You do it because you owe me."

"Owe you?" Gabriel repeated incredulously.

"Yes."

"And just how do I find myself in your debt?"

"Because over two years ago, for my birthday, Marinette made me a scarf. One that I spent the last two years believing was from you," Adrien answered, his voice loud and accusing. "And you know what she did? She spent all that time telling me how happy she was that you gave me something that I was so fond of because she saw how happy it made me. She let me believe it was from you because she didn't want to take that happiness away from me. And then I learn the truth because I overheard her talking to her friend in the library. Do you have any idea how terrible I feel knowing that I bragged about you in front of her when you _stole_ that gift from her? And worse yet, it wasn't even _you._ Nathalie did it because you were too busy to take any time out of your day to even _attempt_ to buy me a gift, so you put the responsibility on her. Yet, you still claimed the gift as one you got me. So yes. You owe me _._ And most of all, you owe _Marinette._ " He slammed the sketchbook on the table in front of Gabriel, causing the usually stoic man to stare wide-eyed at it, if only for a moment. "So the way I see it, you can take thirty minutes of your time to critique a few designs from this book that Marinette poured her heart and soul into to help make up for the fact you stole from her. Something, which I may remind you, that you fired a leading designer for doing just six months ago."

With that, Adrien turned and marched from the room, leaving his father stunned silent.

He shut the door to his bedroom harder than normal, trying to resist his urge to slam it. Anger still pulsing though his body, he stalked around his room like an anxious cat. Plagg, thankfully, was silent and simply let Adrien burn it off.

Eventually, Adrien plopped down on the edge of his bed. "Plagg," he asked, his voice half the volume it had been earlier. "Was I too hard on him? Was that wrong?"

Plagg floated over to him. "No, kid. I don't think you were."

"Really?" Adrien asked, uncertain.

"Adrien, I know you don't like blowing your top like that, but you were pretty controlled through it all. I don't think you did anything more than light a fire under his butt. Either he does something, or he loses your respect. I think that's a fair ultimatum considering he claimed Princess's gift for the better part of two years. Not to mention all he's done on top of that."

Adrien sighed. "I hope you're right, Plagg."

"Of course I am. Now stop moping around, okay."

Adrien cracked a smile. "All right."

The next day of school was one he tried to erase from his mind. Marinette was miserable. And he was the cause.

"I misplaced my portfolio and I have no clue where it is."

"It will turn up somewhere, girl."

"You don't understand, Alya," she said. "I was going to submit a couple pieces to a design competition."

Alya forced a smile on her face. "I'll come over and help you look for it, okay?"

Marinette sighed. "Thanks, Alya."

And Adrien did his best to pull all his modeling skills to keep a straight face even though he was dying to apologize. Worse yet, he didn't even know if his father was going to critique the book at all. By tonight, he would have his answer. Adrien hadn't the slightest clue if his father would follow through or not, but Adrien was sure of one thing: keeping this up would kill him. Tomorrow, Marinette was going to get her sketchbook back with a big, fat apology or an early birthday present.

"What sort of competition, Mari?" Nino asked. "Can't you design something else for it?"

"It's a Gabriel Agreste competition, Nino," Marinette answered. Adrien's ears perked up at the name of his father. "I had designed a couple of pieces specifically to submit. And the deadline is my birthday. I don't have time to start over."

"I didn't even know my father was holding a competition," Adrien said.

Confused, Marinette's frowned. "He's been announcing it for two months and you didn't know?"

Adrien shook his head, looking and feeling like a kicked puppy. "I don't know anything he doesn't tell me. And he's been working out of town for the past two months. It's the first time I heard of it."

Marinette gave him a pitiful look. "Yeah. It's another junior competition, like the jacket one I won last year. This time, the winner gets to shadow a designer backstage during a fashion show."

Adrien could see the appeal of that through Marinette's eyes. "I could always take you," he chimed up. "A birthday present of sorts."

Her eyes widened. "No. I don't want you to feel obligated to do that."

"But what if I want to?" he asked.

Marinette bit her lip in indecision. "As long as you promise that it's not out of obligation or pity. I wanted to win that privilege fairly."

Adrien flashed her his most charming smile. "Well, you know one of the models who wants to give his friend something memorable for her birthday, so really, it's not fair at all."

Her slowly growing smile was a balm for his heart. "That's really nice of you, Adrien."

"Anything for you, Marinette."

She turned bright red at that. Darn, she was just a cute little pip. It wasn't fair.

"Adrien," Alya chimed in. "You're secretly a prince, aren't you? Coming in to save Marinette's day." With that, she elbowed her red friend who somehow turned redder.

Adrien shrugged, feeling more like a thief than a prince.

"It will just be a bummer that I won't get any feedback on my designs," Marinette bemoaned.

That being said, Adrien crossed his fingers out of Marinette's sight all while hoping that his father would do as Adrien had asked.

When school was over and Adrien was driven home, he walked through the front door and immediately saw his father standing on top of the stairs.

"Father," he greeted.

"Adrien."

There was a short silence between them before Gabriel started walking towards Adrien, hands held behind his back as always. When he stopped in front of his son, he extended his right hand out, sketchbook in his grasp.

Adrien looked at the book, then at his father. "Did you critique a few of the designs?" he asked, taking the book from his father.

Gabriel paused. "I hope that your friend will have a good birthday this year."

With that, he left, retreating into his office and shutting the door firmly behind him.

Curious, Adrien opened the book, wondering for himself the answer to his father's cryptic words. And when he saw what his father had done, Adrien dared to ignore his father's closed door, pushing it open and throwing a "thank you" into the quiet room before shutting the door behind him once again.

* * *

Adrien didn't know how he did it, but he managed to convince himself that waiting until Marinette's birthday would have the biggest impact. Until then, he comforted the distraught designer about losing her chance to enter the competition. "My father rarely looks at those submissions anyway," he said, several times over the week. "It's always his under-designers that do it, and then he'll look at the top candidates and decide. Don't worry about it. You aren't missing much. Plus, how many people get their friend to personally tour them around the backstage of a fashion show, huh?"

It got Marinette to calm down a bit. "I suppose. I just am disappointed that I'm going to miss the opportunity to enter."

Adrien just had to keep telling himself that what he had was much better.

Finally came Marinette's birthday. Gifts from her friends were piled on a table for her while another table was packed a bunch of goodies. Adrien tried to restrain himself lest he eat the entire table, but considering the good-natured ribbing he was getting about his friends about his diet, he wasn't completely succeeding. Games were played, causing ample laughter and merriment. If one didn't know any better, Marinette had completely forgotten about missing the competition.

After a while, Marinette was forced into a chair decorated to look like a throne while Alya handed her presents one after the next.

"Alya," Adrien had whispered to her. "Please make sure mine is last."

The gleam in her eye was so curious, it was dangerous. "Real confident there, Agreste."

"Trust me," he begged.

Alya shot him a wink and a wicked smirk, one that unsettled Adrien just a bit. But she did keep her word and left Adrien's for last.

Marinette gave him a confused smile as she looked at the tag and noted his name. "But you already promised me a gift."

Adrien's smile widened. "Trust me on this one, ok? As a thank you for the scarf you gave me, as well as letting me believe it was from my dad. I owe you too much."

"You don't owe me anything," she argued.

"Yes," he stated, causing her cheeks to brighten. "I very much do. Open it."

So she did and gasped when she saw it. "My portfolio!" she looked up to Adrien. "How? When? But…I thought…"

"About that," he said, rubbing the back of his neck. "I needed it."

While Marinette looked up at him with confusion, he wasn't ignorant to the daggers Alya was staring him down with. "Do you mean to say that you purposely took her sketchbook?" Alya snapped, drawing Adrien's full attention. "Even though you knew that she wanted it for a competition."

Adrien grimaced. "Yes. But it was for a really good reason."

"What good reason could you possibly have, Agreste?"

"Alya," Marinette said, her voice soft with wonder.

Everyone watched as she flipped through page after page. She wasn't even a quarter way through before she took the rest of the pages and flipped them quickly. When the last page fell, she looked up at Adrien, blue eyes wide, gobsmacked. "You got your father to critique my portfolio?"

By now, everyone was staring at Adrien. He rubbed the back of his neck. "Yeah."

She swallowed. "You got your _dad,"_ she repeated, words coming slowly, "to critique my _entire_ portfolio?"

He grinned wider. "Yeah."

It was like watching Marinette in slow motion the way a slow grin crept across her face. And that slow motion sped up quickly as she began bouncing and wiggling and then she was in high-speed as she flew from her chair, squealing in a pitch Plagg certainly wouldn't appreciate as she tackled Adrien in a hug. "Thankyouthankyouthankyouthankyou—" With another squeal that was beginning to even hurt his ears, she squeezed him with strength he didn't even know she had. "THANK YOU!"

"I got to hand it to you, Adrien," Alya chimed in, flipping through the sketchbook herself. "This is pretty hard to beat."

He could only smile in a pained sort of way considering that Marinette still hadn't let him go from her vice grip. And then, in a split second, she realized that she had a sketchbook that was graded by her fashion idol awaiting her to browse through and released him in favor of flipping through her book.

"You know," Nino whispered, siding up to Adrien—who was very happy to be able to breathe again—"It's really not fair. You didn't even spend any money and you _still_ outdid us by leaps and bounds."

Adrien could only shrug. "Well, she deserves it."

"Well, you got that right."

The party soon ended and people started heading home. Though Alya, Nino, and Adrien lingered to help clean everything up.

"Hey, Adrien," Marinette said before he could leave. "Please be sure to tell your father thank you for me. I really appreciate him doing that."

Adrien smiled. "I'll be sure to tell him. And I hope you aren't too mad about what I did."

Marinette's eyes widened. "No, I can't be too mad. Maman told me that you came and told her what you were doing. And I can't be too upset considering that people would _kill_ to have Gabriel Agreste so much as _look_ at their work."

Adrien smiled. "Well, I'm glad you like it."

"I love it. Thank you so much. And thank you for promising to take me on a tour of the fashion show. That will be fun."

"I'll get you more details when it gets closer. Okay."

"Sounds perfect."

With that, he gave her a quick hug. "Happy birthday, Marinette."


	2. Chapter 2

A/N: You guys asked for it, and I was on a writing roll. So, here you go.

* * *

With everything on his plate at the moment, Gabriel Agreste wasn't sure why he was taking the time to visit a _bakery_ of all places. Maybe it was the prompting from Nathalie along with her reassurance she would take care of everything in his absence.

He knew it was just because she liked sitting in his chair and silently mocking him while she sat as his desk, but he would take that amusing little secret to his grave.

No, he knew it was for Adrien. Nathalie didn't have to be the one to tell him that. Gabriel actually did pay attention to the names his son frequently spoke, a Miss Marinette Dupain-Cheng being at the top of his most commonly dropped names. The way he spoke of her talent and ability and personality, it didn't take one long to realize Adrien had a crush on the girl.

However, when Adrien brought a sketchbook created by said crush to Gabriel and asked him to critique it, that was where the line was drawn. He didn't have time; that was the truth. Not to mention some part of him did not want to crush the dreams of Adrien's crush by giving his brutally honest opinions. But then Adrien had snapped, daring to threaten him before marching off, leaving the book there on the table

And Gabriel with no other option.

So, after giving Nathalie a bonus check for overtime hours, Gabriel had holed himself up in his office with the intent of lightly critiquing only the best of her "designs." Ten minutes later, he realized there shouldn't have been quotes around that last word.

Adrien had, surprisingly, not been over-exaggerating when he said the girl had talent. Gabriel should have assumed as much when his son mentioned Miss Dupain-Cheng won two of his competitions, but this was a pleasant surprise. According to the profile sheet that Nathalie had compiled a while ago, Marinette was younger than Adrien, yet the designs would certainly not betray her age. Her designs were completed with the skill of some of his younger designers. Furthermore, it seemed like she didn't specialize in just one thing. There were designs for men and women, suitable for ages across the board. But most of all, they were practical.

Gabriel liked practical.

It wasn't that he didn't design a few couture pieces, but that wasn't what he was known for. He was known because the clothes he designed were made for the everyday. While Miss Dupain-Cheng's seemed to favor the more formal, Gabriel still liked every piece.

He didn't hold back. No matter how harsh he seemed, he believed he was actually doing her a large favor. Hopefully, she'd realize that. If not, if she was sensitive like the infamously spoiled Miss Chloe Bourgeois, then he considered that he was doing his _son_ a favor. An Agreste can certainly do better than sinking so low to fawn over a pathetically high-maintenance woman such as that.

In the end, he made his final critique that a portfolio such as this should not be made in a measly sketchbook and instead be placed in a much more professional binder or, even better, an official portfolio with clear page covers and organized in a more meaningful way. But that was all. His job was finished.

About a week after that, Adrien had reported that the gift had been a success and Miss Marinette had nearly broken glass with her excited volume. However, it was the reverent way his son had described her excitement that proved it wasn't just a gift to her, but a gift to him as well. One that kept on for about a week as Nathalie had given Gabriel constant updates.

"And she's read said comments, do you know?" Gabriel had inquired.

"Adrien said she has," Nathalie had answered. "He also said that she has kept an iron grip on the book as though it was her lifeline, studying it like a textbook."

This had pleased him greatly. "Has she now?"

"According to Adrien. Also, he has apparently invited her to the fashion show so he can give her a tour."

At this, Gabriel had frowned. "And he hasn't approached me about it?"

Nathalie simply shrugged. "I believe he was going to ask you today. This was the first time I had heard such a plan."

And that was how he found himself in front of the Dupain-Cheng Bakery. If Adrien was going to invite his crush along to tour a fashion show, Gabriel found it his personal responsibility to ensure that she was worthy of such a privilege. He had taken care to dress as inconspiculously as possible, knowing that he was going to be seen in public for a moment and did not want fans—or worse, the press—hounding him. However, he'd come prepared with his own bodyguard should that not be the case.

He marched inside, a little bell ringing as he opened the door. There were a few people in line, so he would have to wait. The line moved quickly, though, and soon he was being greeted by a smiling Chinese lady. "Hello, how may I help you?"

"Forgive me, I've actually not come for the pastries. My name is Gabriel Agreste. I've come looking for a Miss Marinette Dupain-Cheng."

The woman's eyes widened at his name. "Of course," she said. "I'm her mother, Sabine. Give me a moment. I'll go get her." She hurried into the back, lingering about a minute or so before returning with a young lady following her.

A young lady who completely froze in her tracks among seeing him.

Gabriel nodded respectfully. "Miss Marinette Dupain-Cheng?"

That seemed to snap her out of her stupor. "Mr. Agreste." Her voice was high in surprise, but she managed to stand up straight. "Sir, it's an honor."

"Marinette," Ms. Dupain-Cheng said. "Why don't you take your conversation over to one of the tables?"

"Of course, Maman."

Gabriel could tell the poor girl was flustered, so he took the lead, sitting down at one of the tables in the farthest corner of the bakery. Marinette quickly took a seat across from him. "Before I forget," she said. "I want to thank you for taking the time to critique my design book. I'm sure you are really busy, and to give so much advice must have taken a lot of your time. I really, _really_ appreciate that, more than you can imagine."

Gabriel raised a brow, pleasantly surprised yet immensely pleased. She didn't seem like the kind of girl who was the best actor, so he was certain she meant those words. "You are welcome. When Adrien brought me your sketchbook, I was worried that your designs were not nearly up to the quality they were. It made critiquing easier."

Slowly, Marinette smiled. "Thank you, sir. That's high praise coming from you."

Gabriel nodded dismissively. "Now, the reason I am here."

Marinette shifted, clearly intent on listening.

"You are a promising young designer, one clearly passionate and very serious about a career in the industry. While I'm certain you are far from the only one your age striving to have such a career, Adrien seems to vouch for your character, which is one of the largest factors I use for hiring at _Gabriel's_. It will serve you well in the industry to prove that you are a woman of integrity, but you will have to be fierce, as well. There will be many people all competing for the limited openings, meaning you will have to prove yourself invaluable."

Gabriel then pulled out a few folded papers from his inside jacket pocket. "These," he began, opening up the first sheet, "are a list of design classes that I recommend taking. They are all taught by designers that I personally trust yet are affordable for a student to take. They will help hone your skills even further. Secondly," he opened the next page. "These are a list of skills that stand out on a resumé. Business management, financial management, second languages, etc. Practical skills that you may or may not use yet make you twice as valuable as an employee that only knows design. This will also ensure job security for you should you find yourself in a downsizing work environment. Employers will not get rid of multi-purpose employees, even if they are not as strong of designers."

Marinette took both pages, looking over them carefully before stacking them together with care. "Thank you very much, Mr. Agreste. I will be sure to read these over carefully."

He smiled. "Good. It will benefit you."

"I do have one question, though."

He nodded in prompting.

"Why are you doing this?"

That hadn't been the question he'd been expecting.

"Not that I'm not absolutely beyond honored," she quickly assured. "But I know you have to be very busy with your upcoming fashion show, and you already critiqued my sketchbook, so why are you taking the time to do this. Again, not that I'm not flattered, but…why?"

Gabriel couldn't help but grin. In the few moments he had had with Miss Dupain-Cheng, she appeared to have a level head on her shoulders as well as ample manners to back that. It also seemed that she respected him and his time, another honorable trait. If Adrien was going to have a crush on a girl, it appeared he'd picked a decent one.

Now for the second test.

"It seems Adrien is rather fond of you, Miss Marinette," he said. "He fought rather hard for me to critique your sketchbook. Furthermore, he mentions you often."

Her cheeks turned a brilliant red hue. "He…he mentions me?" she asked, her voice soft and uncertain while her blue eyes widened in surprise. "He…he _actually_ speaks of me? To you?"

"He does. Very highly, may I add."

He wasn't sure how the girl could get any redder, but she did. "That's…" she struggled for words, "very sweet of him. I guess I shouldn't be surprised that he's so sweet, he's got a heart of gold, but…I didn't expect him to…wow."

Gabriel grinned. That had been the answer he had been hoping for, for his son's sake. He stood, straightening his jacket. Marinette stood as well. "It's been pleasant, Miss Marinette. I do believe I will be seeing more of you in the future."

"Yes, you might," she said, the red of her cheeks gradually dulling. "Adrien was kind enough to invite me to view the fashion show. I very much look forward to it."

"I'm certain I don't have to tell you to dress well," he commented.

She seemed uncertain how to respond, so she settled for a sheepish grin.

"Until then," Gabriel said, breaking the silence. "I bid you a good day."

"It's been a privilege, Mr. Agreste," she said. "Truly, I thank you for it, and I will be taking your advice to heart."

With a grin and a curt nod, Gabriel headed back out to his car. He wasn't certain, but he thought he heard a very-high pitched squeal coming from behind him once the bakery door had shut. Just as Adrien hadn't exaggerated her abilities or character, he seemed not to exaggerate her pitch as well.

Once in the car, Gabriel pulled out his phone to call Nathalie. Not only did he have to admit she had won their little wager about if Miss Marinette returned Adrien's feelings, but he had to allow her ample time to pretend she'd never been in his office, as well.


	3. Chapter 3

There were few times Adrien was actually excited for a fashion show. For the most part, it was just a job that he was pretty good at. He didn't like changing into multiple different clothes in such a short span nor did he like being fussed over by designers or make-up artists, but he tolerated it for his father's sake.

Now, he was getting the honor of showing Marinette around, and he thrived off her excitement. It made all the chaos and directing he would go through worth it just to see her grin like this.

"Miss Marinette."

Adrien turned to the voice, only to come face to face with his father. He greeted him with a nod. "Father."

"Mr. Agreste," Marinette said. "It's an honor seeing you again."

"Likewise." His father quickly switched into designer mode as he studied Marinette's red cocktail dress. "Can I assume you made this?" he asked.

"I did," Marinette clarified. "I needed something appropriate to wear so as not to disgrace Adrien."

Adrien was about to tell her there was no way she could disgrace him and what was she even talking about, but his oncoming rant came to an immediate stop when he saw his father smile.

 _Smile._

When did that ever happen?

"It's nice to know that you've taken my advice to heart."

Marinette nodded fervently. "Of course. I've talked with my parents about the class list you gave to me. My mother is teaching me Mandarin in our free time while I'm choosing one of the design classes that works best for my schedule. Come summer, I'll consider taking some university classes in business."

Adrien blinked, very, very lost. Marinette was talking about schooling and his father was smiling as if she were his own daughter.

It kind of stung a bit, but Adrien was decent at putting aside his feelings because Marinette deserved the praise—however minor—she got from his father.

"I'm impressed," his father said. "When it comes to fashion, many people are ready to take my advice, but when it comes to the business side, few people are so eager."

Marinette frowned. "But…but don't people realize that you built your fashion empire? That doesn't come from just designing clothes."

Adrien felt like he might actually faint, or he was hallucinating. No, he _had_ to be seeing things because he swore his father's grin just _grew_. "You might be surprised just how few people seem to realize that. Though I certainly did not do that alone, having a head for business is the only reason I am where I am."

Marinette nodded. "I guess that's something I knew but never really thought of. My parents' bakery is because my papa bakes and my maman balances business. They couldn't run the store without each other."

At this point, Adrien was certain he was in a dream. There was no way his father was not only willingly holding a conversation with Marinette but looking seemingly pleased to be there.

"Well, Miss Marinette, I can say that if you are the one person who follows my advice, then I will be curious to see what sort of waves you make in the fashion industry." He gave her a curt nod. "If you'll excuse me, I have work that needs to be done." He then turned to Adrien. "Be sure to manage your time, Adrien."

"Of course, father."

Adrien watched his father's retreating form until he was able to snap himself out of it. He then turned back to Marinette, uncertain of what to say.

However, he didn't have to say a word, because she looked like she might just bubble over with excitement. "Did your father really just imply I have potential?"

A grin slowly quirked up on his lips. "I…I think he did."

Her grin was so bright, he might have to squint to see it. She did her best to hold herself together. While she wiggled like an excited puppy, she withheld any squeals.

They walked at a quick pace for the rest of the tour, mostly because Marinette couldn't keep down her excitement. Adrien was glad for her. This was the world she wanted. On top of that, her idol just told her she potentially could be part of it. For that, Adrien was happy for her.

The tour came to an end with him showing her to the seat he'd reserved for her.

"Thank you so, so, _so_ much," she said, once again doing her best to tone down her excitement.

He gave her a grin. "It was my pleasure, Marinette. Hope you'll enjoy the show."

"I have no doubt I will."

With a parting bow, Adrien reluctantly left Marinette's side so as to get ready for the show. If he could, he'd much rather stay with his friend, but he had work to do. He'd just have to remember that she was watching so he should strive to do her proud.

Adrien easily slipped around the hustle and bustle that was backstage as he made his way to his dressing area. Only for his father to surprise him by already being there.

Quickly, Adrien checked his watch. "I still have plenty of time, Father," he assured.

He dismissed Adrien's words with a wave. "That wasn't what I wanted to talk with you about."

Adrien's brow furrowed. "Then what do you need?"

"I just wanted to ensure that your date was going well."

Adrien's mind skidded to a complete and total halt. "Pardon?"

His father quirked a brow. "Marinette seemed to be enjoying herself," he commented. "I'm sure she'll enjoy the show, possibly the afterparty." He paused. "That is, if you didn't make any reservations elsewhere after the show?"

Adrien shook his head, unable to so anything else.

"Then you two will be there at the afterparty. We'll stay long enough for you to introduce her to some good designers, then afterwards, we'll go for dinner. I'm intrigued to hear her thoughts on the line."

With that, Gabriel left, leaving Adrien to wonder what had just happened.

He was also slightly disappointed because he had planed for Marinette to be his ticket _out_ of the after-party, but considering there was no way she was going to pass up the opportunity to mingle with his father's designers, that was out of the question. Surely it wouldn't be too bad. Adrien would be proud to show her off, at least, and hopefully would be busy introducing her to the designers instead of standing beside his father to make proper appearances for investors.

After the tedious show was over and Adrien had the last of the make-up removed from his face, he raced back to Marinette to ask her if she enjoyed it.

A stupid question, he realized, but her excited "yes" made suffering through the show worth every second.

"Thank you so much for bringing me, Adrien," she said, giving him a tight hug. "I had a really good time."

"It's not over yet," he said.

Marinette pulled away, her blue eyes clouded with confusion. "What do you mean?"

Adrien grinned. He knew she would enjoy what he had to say. "My father suggested you stay for the afterparty so I can introduce you to some of the designers."

Slowly, her face lit up, eyes now twinkling like the starriest night. "Really?"

Adrien nodded. "Really."

Bouncing on her toes, she covered her mouth to withhold a squeal.

He extended an arm for her as he waited for her to regain her composure. "Shall we?"

She eagerly took his arm. "We shall."

An hour in, Adrien was reminded of why he hated the afterparties. Firstly, he never got the chance to talk much. Usually, this was because he was just a side ornament for his father as Gabriel talked business with investors. This time was only slightly different. He at least got to introduce Marinette to the designers and say a couple words before Marinette gushed about the designs, which got the designers to return conversation just as vigorously.

Adrien didn't mind, though. He got to watch his friend fangirl over designs and even debate fashion with some of the designers.

The second reason Adrien hated fashion show afterparties was because he honestly hated the models. He'd lost track of how many of them had given Marinette up-and-down looks, and not to admire her dress. He bit back his urge to growl several times throughout the evening, glaring at the offenders before moving closer to Marinette in hopes they'd catch a clue. Once, he had to wrap an arm around Marinette's waist to ward of a particularly daring model. Thankfully, she was too busy discussing necklines and hemlines to really notice.

Eventually, the party began winding down and Marinette was glancing at the clock.

"Is something wrong?" Adrien asked.

"No," she quickly said. "No, nothing's wrong. It's just…my parents are likely to wonder where I am, soon. They're expecting me home before dinner."

"Oh," Adrien said, rubbing the back of his neck. He didn't even think about that, yet here he was about to invite her to dinner. "I'm sorry. I should have been watching the clock more closely."

"Are you kidding? You were kind enough to show me around and introduce me to designers. I should have been the one watching my time instead of getting so carried away."

"But I could have been conscientious of your time, too."

"Trust me, Adrien. It's fine."

"Are you two finished?"

Marinette and Adrien turned to see Gabriel. Adrien gave him an apologetic smile. "Yes, Marinette needs to get home for dinner."

"Oh," Gabriel said, unreadable as ever. "I had hoped to have the opportunity to ask you your thoughts on the line, but I suppose that will have to wait for some other time."

Marinette blinked a few times, her lips slightly parted in a way Adrien could tell was speechlessness.

Adrien wondered if that was how he looked like when his father suggested that the first time.

Soon enough, all three were being driven to Marinette's home. Gabriel took the opportunity to ask Marinette a few questions on the line, what she thought of it, her favorite piece and why, what she might have changed. Marinette answered frankly, yet politely, and Adrien could tell by his father's expression that he approved.

When they arrived at the bakery, Marinette was quick to thank both Adrien and Gabriel. The latter bid her a good night while the former politely walked her to the door like the gentleman he'd been raised to be.

Before Marinette went inside, she engulfed him in a hug. "Thank you, again, Adrien. I had such a good time and it was so fun to watch."

After getting over the shock of her squeezing the life out of him, he returned her embrace. "You're welcome, Marinette. Maybe I can bring you to the next show."

A cute pink tint glowed on her cheeks. "You don't have to."

"But if I wanted to," he said, "would you be opposed?"

She grinned, her blush growing. "Not at all."

Adrien gave her a true smile. "Then we'll have to coordinate that later. But until then, I wish you a good night."

"You too, Adrien." With that, she walked into the bakery and disappeared from all sight.

When Adrien returned to the car, he was surprised to see his father had moved from his spot in the front to the spot Marinette had been occupying. "I take it from her…enthusiastic parting that she enjoyed herself?"

Adrien had to recover from his surprise. "She did."

His father hummed. "Is there a chance I will be crossing paths with her again?"

At this, Adrien couldn't keep his curiosity under wraps any longer. "You've been really nice to her all day. I know I got mad at you for stealing her present, but you don't always approve of my friends so quickly."

Gabriel looked down at him. "She's a promising talent," his father said. "One who not only had good taste in fashion but clearly is interested in improving herself beyond the cloth. I merely want to know the woman my son has chosen to pursue."

Adrien blinked a couple times. He recalled his father's earlier comment about it being a date, and his stomach dropped. "Father. No. Marinette and I are friends. I'm not pursuing her."

His father's brow lowered in disapproval. "Adrien, I _am_ fully capable of recognizing budding romance when I see it. With as often as you talk about Marinette as well as how reverently you refer to her, it is perfectly clear to anyone you hold affection for her. You are not hiding it in any form, if that's what you were wondering."

It was Adrien's turn to be speechless as he struggled for some retort.

"Considering my disapproval of some of your friends, I can understand why you would be so hesitant as to let me know such information," his father continued. "However, I wish you to know that I _do_ approve of Marinette seeing as she is a respectable young woman first and foremost. The fact that she does had excellent taste in fashion and is willing to learn other skills beyond that of sewing cloth is further admirable. Truthfully, Marinette would be a more than adequate apprentice. I have no doubt she has the potential to take over the business should you two ever enter a marriage union."

Adrien choked on that. Did his father even hear himself? This was _Gabriel_ , after all.

"I want the company to stay within the family. Since you have never shown interest in design, I can only hope your future wife would take up that torch. As I said, Marinette seems like a fine girl in many respects as well as competent enough to do the job. So I give full approval of your choice in her. I hope you learn you don't have to hide things from me in the future. After all, it would only behoove you to inform me just when you plan outings for you and Marinette so that they fit easily into your schedule. Wouldn't you agree?"

* * *

A/N: And we're done. I'm leaving it open-ended like that because I think it ties the story up on a nice, hilarious note.


End file.
